to be nervous about re-applying for tax credits?

[Fel1x]

Wrong place to post this I know but does anyone know lots about tax credits as I have to send the forms off (or not!) in the next few days and am feeling nervous!!

We used to get CTC a few years back, not loads only the minimum amount but it helped. Then in 2006 I got a letter saying I had been over payed due to the fact that they hadnt received my renewal letter and they wanted the whole years worth of money back.
I had sent them the renewal and so I appealed it. It took loads of letters and photocopies of forms etc and I was v stressed about it.
Never heard anything back at all!!

This week I have received a letter saying 'We have been looking into your appeal and unfortunately we were unable to resolve it'
It took them FOUR years to not resolve it!
Anyway, it also says if I was correct then they may owe me money for the interim time and so I must now put forward a current claim so they can look back again and re-assess the past few years.

Now we earn more now than we did back then and I'm not sure we are still entitled to receive CTC. I'm nervous that if I re-apply for now they might ask me for money back again from years ago!

But on the other hand, I was entitled to it back then and they probably owe us back money.

What to do.... apply or ignore??

(Another issue is that DH is now self employed and not sure how to calculate his income!! He pays himself a fairly low 'salary' out of the company turnover and the rest goes back into the business - do I count his 'salary' amount or the total amount?? on the form it just asks for 'profit' )

Help!! I am thinking of just leaving it and not doing anything just in case it back fires... AIBU?

[Fel1x]

thats the thing, i have no idea how much they might owe me. they may even calculate that i owe them!!

[sapphireblue]

depends how much you could be owed in back payments..........if we're talking a sum that would be significant to you then you should fill in the forms. If not i would save myself the hassle!